Foot valve



O. J. HUGHES Dec. 13, 1932.

FOOT VALVE Filed Sept. l1, 1929 abbot w11 5 Patented Dec. 13, 1932 OWEN J'. HGHES, OFSTAMFORD, CONNECTXC'UT FOOT VALVE Application filed September 11, 1929. Serial No. 391,727.

10 the ellective area or" the suction pipe and also prevents draining of water from the suction pipe and pump when the pump is not operating.

This invention has for an object to provide 15 a terminal which may be independently operated to either closed, half open or wideopen position by the operator so as to either completelyclose oli the end of the .suction pipe or to swing the valve entirely away from the entrance to the suction pipe leaving the full effective area of the pipe for inlet of liquids.

A further obj ect of this invention is to provide a positively operated means for turning the valve from wide open through halt open to closed position, allowing gravity to assist the valve past dead center position when in this process of closing, and to provide a supplemental means to assist vthe valve past dead center when the aforesaid means is turno ing the valve from closed to half open and then to wide open position.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprises the'combinations, arrangements and construction of parts hereinafter set forth, disclosed and claimed in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In this drawing:

Fig. l is an elevation of one embodiment of this invention as applied to a suction pump which is being used in a septic tank, `for eX- ample. Y

Fig. 2 is a view looking from the left end of Fig. 1, certain parts being omitted.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section through the valve and inlet pipe end,and y v Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section through the spring pressed location pin for holding the operating means in either open or closed 50 position.

There is shown at 10 a septic tank having an embodiment of this invention applied to the inlet end 11 of a suction pipe 12 leading to the suction pumpl 13 and thence to the discharge end 1&1, there being a petcock 15 at# tached to the pump 13 that may be opened to release the vacuum and permit entrance of air when draining the pump. Although shown as being applied to a suction pipe in a septic tank, it is obvious that this device may be usedon a suction pipe when used in a well, reservoir, excavation or any other location for pumping liquids.

A. member 15 clamped about the pipe 12 near the inlet or mouth 11 has afiixed thereto an oii'set pivoting' or hinging pin 1 to which is hinged an arni- 1S which in turn is affixed toV the valve Ey this onset hinging means, it will be observed vthat the valve 19 may be hinged toswin' across the mouth or inlet 11 to close it entirely as 19 or may be swung entirely away from the mouth through more than a' right angle, and in ifact, as much as two right angles to bring the valve entirely away from the mouth or inlet 11, as at 19 as shown in dotted lines in 1.

VThis valve 19 as shown in Fig. 3 may oomprise a bottom plate or disk 2O to which the arm 18 is aiiXed. A. leather facing 21 is axed to the disk 2O7by a bronzering 22, this ring being attatched by countersunk copper rivets 23 passing through the plate 20.

The means for operating the valve 19 comy prises biiurcated link 2e connected to the valve and to a reciprocal roe 25. rlhe upper end of rod 25 passes through an opening 26 in the flooring 2'? about the tank and is afiXed to a rack 28 which is operated by a pinion 29 vhaving a crank handle 30 for manual operation thereof, the rack and gear being in a boi: 31, while a pair of rod guides 82 are aiiixed to a brace 33 clamped to pipe 12 as at 34.

Ali'ixed to the gear rack 28 through a slot 35 inbox 31is an indication plate 36 having an arrow 37 adapted to cooperate with the indications 38 on a board 39 affixed to the boX 31. A location pin 40 is likewise aiiixed to the plate 36' and comprises housing 41 for enclosing the spring l2 which serves to hold the pin 40 in place, while location holes or stops 43 cooperate with pin 40 to hold the gear in either closed or wide open position unless the pin be withdrawn against the spring 12.

A iiexible means as a chain 44 is atxed to an veye l5 on the valve 19 and has its other end 11G passed through another opening in flooring 27, and serves to draw the valve 19 past dead center, as will be apparent.

In operation, this invention is intended to use valve 19 to close bottom or mouth 11 of the suction pipe 12 to retain liquid therein and permit the pump 13 to beprimed and then to have valve 19 swung entirely away from the mouth 11 te allow the full area of the pipe to be used to secure maximum eiiiciency.

Assuming the valve 19 to be in the wide open position as shown in dotted lines at 19 in Fig. 1, pin l0 may be withdrawn against its spring 4t2, and crank handle 30 manually turned to lower rack 28 and rod 25 until the arrow 37 shows that the valve is in half open position, as at 19 in full lines in Fig. 1. Due to the center of gravity of valve 19 being oftset because of its hinging means, the link2/l will pass slightly beyond dead center, or that is, beyond or to the rifrht of pivot 17 and then the handle 30 may be rotated in the opposite direction to draw the valve to closed position,

` as will be shown b the indication arrow 37 while pin l0 will serve to hold it in this position. The pump may be then primed by pouring water through the discharge end 14 or by a suitable priming supply until pipe 12 is full, the pet cock 15 being open to allow the air in pipe 12 to escape as it is iilled. Then pet cock 15 is closed, thereby-serving to prevent the priming water or liquid from escaping. Next the valve 19, which is now in the closed position at 19 is opened by rotating handle 30 to bring the valve from closed position to half open position, where it hangs just before the dead center position. At this time, end 46 of chain 44; may be manually grasped and the chain 414 drawn upward until the valve 19 is drawn just beyond dead center position or swung outwardly until link 24: passes to the left of pivot 17 as seen in Fig. 1, whereupon handle 30 may be again reversed to bring valve 19 to the wide onen position at 19, where it will be held by pin l() and wide open stop 43. Pump 13 may then be operated to withdraw the liquid for as long as desirable, and due to the position of the valve at 19, it will operate at the maximum eiiiciency, having the full area of the suction pipe entirely unobstructed by any valve or valve parts. When the pump- Y ing operation is completed or suspended, the

pet cock 15 may be opened. This will serve to allow the liquid in the pump to escape.

Having thus set forth and described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a valve construction for the inlet endV of a pump, a valve, an oiisethinge for said valve, a control means for said valve comprising a vertical rod, a link connecting said rod and said valve, said means and valve having a dead center position relative to one another, said rod being reciprocable to actuate said valve, and a supplementary means 'for actuating said valve beyond dead center.

2. In a valve construction, an upright pipe, a valve adapted to close an inlet at the bottom of said pipe, oiipset means for hinging said valve to said pipe, an upright control rod, a link connecting said control rod and said valve, said valve, rod and link having a dead center position relative to one another, said valve being before dead center when in halt' open position, and an independent flexible means to draw said valve beyond dead center toward wide open position.

3. In a valve construction for the inlet end of a suction pump, a valve, offset means for hinging said valve, means having a dead center position relative to said valve to swing said valve across said inlet end and swing it entirely clear of said inlet end, said means including supplementary means to swing said valve past dead center.

4. In a valve construction, a valve, offset means for pivoting said valve to close the bottom end of an inlet pipe, said means permitting said valve to be moved more than a right vangle away from said closed position, a re' ciprocatory means linked to said valve for moving said valve and having a dead center position relative to said valve, said reciprocatory means being adapted to positively open and positively close said valve, and supple' mentary means for swinging said valve past dead center position towards the open position.

v5. In a valve construction for the inlet of a suction pump, a valve itting across the inlet, 7

a pivot supported away from said inlet, a

-hinge arm on said valve swinging about said pivot, a bifurcated link pivoted to said valve, a reciprocable rod, said link being connected to said rod, said valve, rod and link having a dead center position relative to one another, means to. reciprocate said rod to a desired position to swing said valve to halt open or shut position, independent means to swingl said valve beyond dead center when in half open' position, said rod being then reciprocable to swing said valve to full open position.

6. In a valve construction for closing the inlet end of a pump pipe, a valve, an offset pivot supported by said pipe, a correspondingly oii`set hinge member on said valve swingable about said pivot through more than a right angle, ak vertically reciprocable control rod, a link connecting said rod and said valve, said valve, rod and link having a dead center position relative to one another, supplementary means to pivot said valve beyond dead center toward full open position.

7. In a valve construction for closing the inlet end of a pump pipe, a valve, an oset pivot supported by said pipe, a correspond-V for reciprocating said rod, and a gear to operate said rack. f

8. In a valve construction for closing the inlet end of a pump pipe, a valve, an offset pivot supported by said pipe, a correspondingly offset hinge member on said valve svvingable about said pivot through more than a right angle, a vertically reciprocable. control rod, a link connecting said rod and said valve, said valve, rod and link having a dead center position relative to one another, supplementary means to pivot said valve beyond dead center ,toward full open position, a rack for reciprocating said rod,and a gear to operate said rack, means on said rack indicating the valve position, and means for holding said raelr in an indicated position.

9. In a valve construction for the inlet end of a suction pump, a valve, means hinging said valve, means having a dead center position relative to said valve to swing said valve across said inlet end and swing it entirely clear of said inlet end, and an independent feXible means to draw said Valve beyond dead Center position. Y

ln testimony whereof I aihx my signature.

OWEN J. HUGHES. 

